Ferguson showed what happens when a community comes together to protest power and obtain meaningful change from it, but power doesn’t like to retreat.
What happens to people who feel elite, and untouchable, when the city around them rises up to expose and oppose them? What happens when power takes a different shape — obscuring its nature and staying in its position?
In this episode, we examine a protest story decades before the Ferguson Uprising — the story of those who worked to take down the Veiled Prophet.
There’s more to the Veiled Prophet and what the group's leaders are focused on today. That story is explored in detail in this St. Louis on the Air story: VP St. Louis ousts its own figurehead — the Veiled Prophet is no more.
Credits: This episode was produced by Danny Wicentowski and edited by Emily Woodbury. With production assistance from Chad Davis and Ulaa Kuziez. Greg Munteanu did the audio mixing and podcast design. Brian Heffernan provided editorial guidance. Kris Husted is the executive producer.
Special thanks to Kameel Stanley and Holly Edgell.
The theme music is by Cassie Morgan and remixed by Mvstermind. Additional music provided by Drake Stafford and Kai Engel.
Financial support for this episode comes from the River City Journalism Fund.
We Live Here is a production of St. Louis Public Radio in collaboration with the Midwest Newsroom.
